Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was a New Orleans-born trumpeter, singer and bandleader whose influence on jazz is unmatched. Starting out in the city's rough Battlefield neighbourhood, he rose to reshape the music entirely - shifting jazz from collective ensemble playing to a soloist's art - and later became a global pop icon through recordings like "What a Wonderful World" and "Hello, Dolly!".
The Louis Armstrong House Museum announced its 2025 Armstrong Now artists-in-residence: trumpeter Etienne Charles and choreographer Irishia Hubbard Romaine, who will create new works drawing on the Armstrong archives.
The Broadway musical 'A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical', starring Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart, played its final performance on February 23, 2025 after a run of 151 performances at Studio 54.
The Broadway musical 'A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical' opened at Studio 54 in New York on November 11, 2024, with orchestrations by Branford Marsalis.
Verve Records released 'Louis In London', a previously unissued live album capturing one of Armstrong's final major performances.
New remastered releases of Armstrong's catalogue continued in 2025, including 'La Vie En Rose (Deluxe Edition)' and 'When the Saints Go Marching In'.
